Texas Fishing Report: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, July 18

Published on Wednesday, 17 July 2013 22:57 - Written by

NORTHEAST

ATHENS: Water clear, 81-87 degrees; 3.04β low. Black bass are good on topwaters early then switching to Texas rigged green pumpkin Baby Brush Hogs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 81-86 degrees; 5.78β low. Black bass are fair on Texas rigged Zoom U-Tail worms in green pumpkin. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on cut shad.

*CADDO: Water stained; 81-86 degrees; 0.17β low. Black bass are good on Texas rigged Baby Brush Hogs in California 420. White and yellow bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 79-84 degrees; 4.71β low. Black bass are good on shakyheads around deeper docks and deep diving crankbaits on brush piles. Some topwater action noted early. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad and trotlines.

COOPER: Water clear; 80-85 degrees; 9.39β low. Black bass are fair on shad pattern wakebaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on live shad. Catfish are good on cut bait and trotlines.

FAIRFIELD: Fishing has been slow since the fish kill in September of 2010. TPWD has discontinued stocking the lake after another kill in early September 2011. Redfish and black bass survived the kill in limited numbers.

FORK: Water clear; 81-86 degrees; 5.02β low. Black bass are good on Carolina rigged creature baits and DD22s in soddy blue on main lake points. The dock bite is good later in the day on Texas rigged Missile Baits D Bomb in Love Bug color. Yellow bass and white bass are good on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows near bridges. Catfish are good on trotlines.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 81-85 degrees; 2.94β low. Black bass are fair on swim jigs and hollow body frogs. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on prepared bait.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 80-85 degrees; 0.10β low. Black bass are fair on shad pattern squarebill crankbaits and bladed jigs in baitfish patterns β the frog bite is consistent in areas with lily pads. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 79-84 degrees; 0.54β low. Black bass are good on shakyheads and weightless Flukes. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. White bass are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 79-84 degrees; 7.60β low. Black bass are slow on medium crankbaits near brush piles in 8-10β. White bass are slow on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on prepared bait.

TAWAKONI: Water stained; 81-86 degrees; 6.38β low. Black bass are fair on flipping jigs and Texas rigged soft plastics around shallow cover. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair on slabs. Catfish are good on cut bait and trotlines.

*TEXOMA: Water clear; 78-83 degrees; 0.19β high. Black bass are good on Texas rigged soft plastics. Early morning topwater action is fair. Striped bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are good on trotlines.

WEATHERFORD: Water clear; 79-85 degrees; 5.95β low. Black bass slow around docks and on deeper brush piles. Shakyheads and drop shots have been best. No report on other species. . Please call ahead as low water is making launching difficult.

*WRIGHT PATMAN: Water lightly stained; 80-85 degrees; 6.33β high. Black bass are good on shakyheads with finesse worms. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait.

SOUTHEAST

CONROE: Water lightly stained; 83-87 degrees; 2.89β low. Black bass are fair on green pumpkin soft plastics, crankbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are fair on silver striper jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Catfish are good on prepared bait, liver, and shrimp.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Black bass are good on green pumpkin Rat-L-Traps and soft plastic worms with chartreuse tails. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs. Catfish are very good on doughbait, cut bait, and frozen shrimp.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 87-91 degrees; 1.06β low. Black bass to 5 pounds are good on watermelon and purple worms with red tails early and late, and on topwaters around grass beds. Crappie are good on live minnows in 10 feet. Bream are good on live worms off piers and over grass beds. Channel catfish to 3 pounds are good on trotlines baited with live bait. Yellow catfish are fair on juglines baited with perch.

LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 84-88 degrees; 0.52β low. Black bass are good on green pumpkin spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Striped bass are good on slabs, pet spoons, and troll tubes. White bass are good on troll tubes, pet spoons, and Charlie slabs. Crappie are very good on minnows in 20 feet. Blue catfish are fair on shad. Yellow catfish are slow.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 81-85 degrees; 3.54β low. Black bass are slow. White bass are fair on Liβl Fishies and watermelon spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs over brush piles. Bream are fair on crickets and nightcrawlers. Catfish are fair on trotlines baited with shrimp and cut bait.

TOLEDO BEND: Water lightly stained; 80-84 degrees; 2.70β low. Black bass are good on June bug and plum soft plastic worms early and late, and on topwaters early. Striped bass are fair on silver spoons. White bass are fair on Liβl Fishies and spoons. Crappie are slow. Bream are very good on crickets and nightcrawlers off docks. Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait, stinkbait, livers, and hearts in 30 feet. Yellow catfish are slow.

COASTAL

NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics. Redfish are good in the cuts and drains leading to the marsh on shrimp and Gulps.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good while drifting the reefs on live shrimp and topwaters. Drifters have been working slicks and pods of shad on the Reef on the south end. Trout are good at the jetty on live bait and topwaters.

BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shoreline on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Black drum, sand trout and redfish are good at Rollover Pass. Deep shell has produced trout on the outgoing tide. Trout are good in the surf on live bait.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working wells and shell pads on shrimp, croakers, Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Redfish are good on live bait around the reefs and at the spillway. Redfish have been showing in the middle of the day.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good for drifters working deep shell on limetreuse and plum plastics. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Trout are good on the Ship Channel on croakers and plastics.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good at the railroad bridge on live shrimp. Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Offshore is good for tarpon, kingfish, dorado and ling.

TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair to good on the reefs on live shrimp and croakers. Solid trout have come from the edge of the Ship Channel on croakers and shrimp.

FREEPORT: Trout are good at San Luis Pass on shrimp and MirrOlures. Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. Trout, Spanish mackerel and sand trout are good at the jetties on live bait.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet. Trout are fair to good in the surf on live bait and topwaters.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and topwaters and live bait. Redfish are fair on topwaters and live shrimp in Oyster Lake and Crab Lake.

PORT OβCONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair on topwaters and live bait over sand, grass and shell in San Antonio Bay. Trout are fair to good in the surf and at the jetty on croakers. Redfish are fair on the shorelines and running with jack crevalle.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair in the guts and channels on free-lined shrimp. Trout are fair over grass while drifting with live shrimp. Redfish are good on mullet on the Estes Flats and around Mud Island.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfish and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Trout are fair to good in the surf on topwaters and croakers. Offshore is good for dorado, kingfish and ling.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on Gulps and live shrimp. Redfish are good in the potholes on shrimp. Trout are fair to good at Emmordβs Hole on croakers and piggy perch.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good over grass in the Land Cut. Trout are good on topwaters around rocks and grass. Trout are fair to good on the King Ranch shoreline on croakers, topwaters and Gulps.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on topwaters around sand and grass. Redfish are fair to good while drifting pot holes and on live bait. Offshore is good for ling and kingfish.

SOUTH PADRE: Redfish and trout are good in the shallows of South Bay and Mexiquita Flats on shrimp and plastics under rattling corks. Tarpon are showing at the pass. Snook are fair on topwaters and shrimp.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good on the flats on live shrimp and Gulps under a cork. Redfish are good on topwaters and live shrimp under a cork. Trout are good on live bait on the edge of the channel drop-offs.